Lt. Col Denise Walker, a native of Newark, N.J., enlisted in the New Jersey Army National Guard in 1987 and after serving six years as an enlisted Soldier, she was commissioned as an Ordnance Officer through Officer Candidate School.

She has served in many roles in the Maryland Army National Guard and Active Guard Reserve where she held several positions to including retention and attrition operations officer, recruit sustainment program section chief, and resource management branch chief, and as a logistics combat advisor on the Baghdad Operations Command Advisory Team in Baghdad, Iraq.

"This has been the best assignment of my life and I will forever be inspired by all of the Soldiers who have touched my life and had such an everlasting influence."

The incoming commander, Lt. Col. Eugene Maxwell, a native of El Paso, Texas, retired from the Kentucky State Police in December 2011 where he worked as a Trooper and Detective prior to the Title 10 AGR assignment as the WTB Commander.

Maxwell served 22 years as a Reservist for the Kentucky Army National Guard where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, served in the Current Operations Branch of National Guard Bureau, and as the battalion executive officer for the Fort Knox Warrior Transition Battalion.

He has also served as a field artillery platoon leader and battery commander, training, advising, and counseling officer, battalion operations officer, S-3 officer, and battalion executive officer.

In 2012, Maxwell transitioned to Title 10, AGR and was assigned to the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Okla., as the Senior ARNG Field Artillery Force Developer.

Maxwell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Government from Western Kentucky University and holds a Master of Arts degree in Homeland Security from American Military University.

During his remarks, Maxwell thanked Walker, "I appreciate both the advice and mentorship that you have provided me over the past few months."

"To the Soldiers and Civilians of the Warrior Transition Battalion, I am truly honored to serve you as your battalion commander and I look forward to many rewards and challenges of the near future." said Maxwell.